FUTURE DODGE CHARGERS AND CHALLENGERS MAY BE BASED ON MASERATIS

It’s been more than a decade since Dodge brought back the Charger, and in that time, it’s received several major updates but no complete redesign. The story’s been the same with the Challenger, too: continual updates but no all-new car since its introduction. For a while, we’d heard both the Charger and the Challenger would eventually be moved to the Giorgio platform that underpins the Alfa Romeo Giulia. But according to the latest rumor, that plan has changed.

Automotive News reports that the Charger and Challenger will get one more refresh for 2019 before being completely redesigned for 2021. That redesign will reportedly focus on reducing weight and improving fuel economy. But when they do get redesigned, they’ll supposedly ride on the Maserati Ghibli’s platform, not the Alfa Romeo Giulia’s. We reached out to Fiat Chrysler for confirmation, but FCA’s spokesman said he couldn’t comment, calling AN’s piece “pure speculation.” Then again, he didn’t deny the rumor, either.

If you think about it, the change of plans makes sense. The Ghibli’s platform underpins the larger Quattroporte, which has a wheelbase much closer to the Charger’s. Compared to the Charger, the Giulia has a wheelbase that’s about 10 inches shorter. It could presumably be stretched, but starting with the Maserati platform sounds like it would be simpler.

Interestingly, that report also suggests that the next-generation Dodge Journey will migrate to the Giorgio platform, becoming a two-row, rear-wheel-drive performance crossover instead of a three-row, front-wheel-drive minivan alternative. Considering that we found the Giorgio-based Alfa Romeo Stelvio to be “a new contender for the best-handling SUV on the planet,” the idea of a less expensive, Dodge-badged version sounds like a great idea to us. We’ll believe it when we see it, though.